


Past Night

by Lady_Sci_Fi



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Episode Related, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-02 23:04:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2829254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Sci_Fi/pseuds/Lady_Sci_Fi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sisko and Bashir's first night in Sanctuary A during the episode "Past Tense."<br/>Can be Gen or slight Sisko/Bashir.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Past Night

 

Doctor Julian Bashir wrapped his arms around himself as he began to slightly shiver. His companion on this unexpected and unpleasant adventure to the twenty-first century, Commander Benjamin Sisko, turned with concern evident on his face.

“Doctor?”

 “Sorry, Sir,” Julian couldn’t help but apologize. “I don’t think these uniforms were meant for extended time in the cold.” He took a step forward as the dinner line moved up.

 Sisko felt a shiver go down his spine at the other man’s words. “No, I suppose not.”

 Julian’s shivering increased, and he eyed the trashcan fire on the other side of the street. He considered stepping out of line, knowing Sisko would keep his place, to warm up for a minute. But he thought better of the idea, knowing that would only be asking for trouble. They had caught the attention of the other residents of the Sanctuary. In their Starfleet uniforms, they stuck out, and were obviously new here. To separate from each other, even for a moment, might be long enough for the less pleasant members of this place descend upon one of them.

 Julian didn’t realize he had been staring into the flickering orange flames until Sisko laid a hand on his back and nudged him forward with the line.

 “Looks inviting, I know. Hopefully we’ll get to spend some time near one after we get dinner.”

 Julian side and forced his eyes away from the fire. Instead he looked up at the rapidly darkening sky. The brightest stars were already visible, along with a partial moon. For the umpteenth time that day, Julian wondered what had brought himself, Sisko, and the still-missing Jadzia Dax here to the past. One second, they were transporting down to Starfleet Headquarters, the next, they had awakened on the street to a man poking them with a rifle. The rest of the day had been confusing, though at least Sisko knew enough about history to know where they were.

 He closed his eyes as another shiver went through him. He hoped his coldness would not get to the teeth-chattering point. If that happened, it certainly wouldn’t be long until hypothermia kicked in. He glanced over to Sisko, who apparently wasn’t feeling as cold as Julian was, if his more relaxed stance was any indication. Julian hoped he would stay that way. Treating himself for possible hypothermia with whatever primitive means they had here would be difficult enough.

 Finally, Julian and Sisko made it to the front of the dinner line. They showed their food ration cards, and were given a bowl of soup, a piece of bread, a small bottle of water, and a plastic spoon.

 Their misfortune of the entire day kept going, as they couldn’t find any open spaces around any of the nearby fires to eat. With a sigh, sat down on a curb next to his commander. “The people who run this place could at least put more fires around.”

 “Maybe not enough people have frozen to death yet to justify it,” Sisko replied softly.

 Julian balanced the bread on his thigh and lifted a spoonful of the soup to his mouth. The radiating heat from that small amount brought some relief to his cold lips. The taste was nothing special, but the warmth it brought as it went over his tongue and down his throat made up for it.

 “Could use some pepper, at the very least,” Sisko commented. “Along with parsley, a dash of cayenne…”

 “Sir, stop,” Julian couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re making me want your cooking.”

 “Even beets?” Sisko teased.

 “Sure, as long as everything you make is warm.”

 “I’ll hold you to that when we get back to the station.”

 “You better not put beets in every dish to spite me.”

 “Doctor, would I do that to you?”

 The two men stared at each other for a few seconds, then broke out laughing.

 They quieted down and Julian considered eating his soup slowly to have the warmth last as long as he could. But the cold air would soon sap the heat, and cold soup wasn’t something Julian liked. His next spoonful picked up a pathetic string of meat. “At least it’s not just broth,” he remarked. The chicken piece wasn’t much good, taste or texture wise. Still, he swallowed it, along with all the other pieces. The bread was slightly stale, but still edible. After he finished his meager dinner, he turned to his companion. “If this is all they get for dinner, malnutrition must be an epidemic.”

 Sisko let the statement pass without comment as he swallowed the last of his soup and water. With a tap to Julian’s knee, he stood and went to throw the bowl, bottle, and spoon away in the nearest overflowing trashcan. Julian joined him a moment later.

 “Too bad we can’t get seconds,” Julian said. The warmth provided by the soup was already being drained away by the chilly air.

 “You were already impatient enough the first time through the line,” Sisko said, keeping his tone light.

 Julian half-smiled, then started rubbing his hands together. “Do you think the office building will have any spare blankets for us?”

 “We’re going to find out.”

  ********

 It took a lot of insisting, but Sisko and Julian left the office headquarters of the sanctuary with four blankets. Now they had to find a spot to sleep. They already knew all the buildings were full, and if one wasn’t, the inhabitants outside protecting it wouldn’t let them in anyway.

 It took a good while, but they finally found an empty spot in an alley in the space under a set of stairs. It was as private and comfortable as they were going to find, and they settled in. They spread one blanket on the ground, then sat with the backs against the wall. They each had one blanket tucked around them, and laid the last over them.

 “Comfortable?” Sisko asked.

 “Not particularly.” Despite the two layers of blanket, Julian still shivered. Sisko had also began shivering, though not as badly as him. Julian closed his eyes and tried to relax, but the cold wouldn’t allow his muscles to loosen enough.

 Julian flinched as a strong arm snaked around his shoulders. He opened his eyes to find Sisko closer, almost flush against his side. “Commander?”

 “I’d rather not wake up in the morning to find my doctor in severe hypothermia. Not if there’s anything I can do about it.”

 Of course Julian knew exactly what Sisko was doing. But somehow, despite his want to survive the night, this seemed a little… improper. But Julian didn’t try to move away. Sisko would need the body warmth just as much as he did. It was a simple matter of survival.

 With a little smile, Julian pushed the top blanket off of them, and unwrapped the one around himself. Sisko did the same with his blanket, and the two men scooted together as close as they could. They retucked the blankets around themselves, and Sisko’s arm once again went around Julian’s shoulders.

 Julian leaned into the hold this time, letting his head lay on the older man’s shoulder. It could’ve been his imagination, but he already felt a little warmer. He let out a long breath. “Commander, do you think tomorrow will be better? For figuring a way out, I mean.”

 “Could it be much worse than waking up on the street and being thrown in here?”

 “Maybe.”

 “Where’s your eternal optimism, Doctor?”

 Julian couldn’t help the small smile, even though Sisko couldn’t see it. “Perhaps it went where whatever heat I had in my body went.”

 “In that case, I definitely need to keep you warm. I can’t have you losing all your optimism.”

 That got a chuckle out of Julian. “Thanks, sir.”

 “Now, let’s get some sleep. It’ll probably be a long day tomorrow.”

 Despite the encouragement, Julian’s body stayed tense, and not from the coldness.

 “Relax, Doctor… Julian.”

 “You sure, sir?”

 “Julian, if it’s the… compromising position that has you worried, I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.”

 “Right.” Julian closed his eyes and relaxed against Sisko. He nearly let out a cry of surprise when the other man suddenly put his arm under Julian’s knees and swung his legs around to rest over his thighs. This put Julian in the position of practically being cradled by the commander.

 “Is that more comfortable?” Sisko asked quietly.

 “Uh… yes. It is.”

 “Good, because it’s better for me too.”

 “You promise not to tell anyone about this?”

 “I’m sure Dax would love to hear about this.”

 “I’m sure she’d use it to embarrass us both.”

 “Good point. Then I won’t tell anyone.”

 The two officers fell into a comfortable quiet as they made slight shifts and adjustments to their positions. Julian ended up more in Sisko’s lap, curled up with the top of his head nuzzling the chin above, but the commander didn’t mind. Sisko pulled the blanket up over Julian’s shoulders and slightly nuzzled his chin in the soft dark hair. A slight breeze made him tighten his hold on the smaller man. With the fatigue, mental exhaustion, and coldness finally taking its toll, along with the comfort of sharing each other’s body warmth and touch, both of them soon fell into sleep.  

 ********

 Julian awakened with his back against the wall and wrapped in blankets, to find Sisko hovering over him with two plates of food in hand.

 “Good morning. I went to get us breakfast.” Sisko smiled.


End file.
